THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. Listen, Laura and I are
glad to be back in Dubuque, and so honored so many came out to say
"hello." You lift our spirits. (Applause.) Really appreciate you
coming. We're here, of course, asking for the vote and asking for your
help. We need you to get your friends and neighbors to go to the
polls, find our fellow Republicans, find independents, find discerning
Democrats and remind them if they want a safer America, a stronger
America and a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in
office. (Applause.)

When I asked Laura to marry me she said, fine, so long as you make
me a promise. I said, what is it? She said, promise me I'll never
have to give a political speech. (Laughter.) I said, okay, you've got
a deal. Fortunately, she is not holding me to that promise. She's
giving a lot of speeches, and when she does the American people see a
compassionate, strong, great First Lady. (Applause.)

And I'm proud of my running mate, Dick Cheney. He's doing a
wonderful job. You know, I admit it, he does not have the waviest hair
in the race. (Laughter.) You'll be happy to hear I didn't pick him
because of his hairdo -- I picked him because of his experience, his
judgment, his ability to get the job done. (Applause.)

I'm proud to be on the stage with Congressman Jim Nussle, and I
want to thank his wife, Karen, for being here. He's the Chairman of
the Budget Committee. He's watching your money like a hawk -- eye.
(Applause.) Nussle is a good man, good, solid citizen from the state of
Iowa and I'm proud to call him, friend.

You know, we love your senator, Chuck Grassley. I saw him the
other day and I said, say, Chuck, you know, the South Lawn has got a
lot of grass -- (laughter) -- and we're looking for somebody to give us
a hand. (Laughter.) He's done a wonderful job as the Chairman of the
Finance Committee. I know the people of Iowa are proud that he's the
senator; I know you're going to put him back into office for six more
years. (Applause.)

I want to thank Dale Schultz for coming. Dale is right there.
He's from the 3rd congressional district in the great state of
Wisconsin. He's been traveling with me all day. (Applause.) Just in
case anybody from Wisconsin is watching on TV, put this good man in as
a congressman. (Applause.)

I want to thank Dave Vaudt for being here. I want to thank Dave
Roederer. I want to thank Doug Gross. I want to thank the Will
Gravatt Band for entertaining you all. I want to thank the grassroots
activists who are here, the people putting up all the signs and making
the phone calls and helping turn out people to rallies in the Dubuque
area. With your help, there is no doubt in my mind we're going to
carry Iowa and win a great victory in November. (Applause.)

We have just one week to go. Voters have a clear choice between
two very different candidates with dramatically different approaches
and records. Now, you know where I stand. (Applause.) And sometimes
-- sometimes you even know where my opponent stands. (Laughter.) We
both have records. I'm proudly running on mine. (Applause.) The
Senator is running from his. And there's a reason why. There's a
mainstream in American politics, and my opponent sits on the far left
bank.

I'm a compassionate conservative, and proudly so. (Applause.) I
have a positive, optimistic vision for our future, and a comprehensive
strategy for victory in Iraq and the wider war against terror. My
opponent has no plan, no vision, just a long list of complaints.
(Laughter.) But a Monday-morning quarterback has never led any team to
victory. (Applause.)

This election comes down to five clear choices for America's
families: your family's security, your family's budget, your quality
of life, your retirement, and the bedrock values that are so critical
to our families and to our future.

The first clear choice is the most important because it concerns
the security of your family. All progress on every other issue depends
on the safety of our citizens. This will be the first presidential
election since September the 11th, 2001. Americans will go the polls in
a time of war and ongoing threats. The terrorists who killed thousands
are still dangerous and determined to strike us again. And this
outcome -- the outcome of this election, will set the direction of the
war against the terrorists. The most solemn duty of the American
President is to protect the American people. (Applause.) If America
shows uncertainty or weakness in this decade, the world will drift
toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch. (Applause.)

Since that terrible morning of September the 11th, 2001, we fought
the terrorists across the Earth -- not for pride, not for power, but
because the lives of our citizens are at stake. Our strategy is
clear. We've strengthened the protections for the homeland. We're
reforming our intelligence capabilities. We're transforming our
military. There will be no draft; the all-volunteer army will remain
an all-volunteer army. (Applause.) We're staying on the offensive.
We are relentless. We are determined. We will strike the terrorists
abroad, so we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.) We
will continue to spread freedom and liberty, and we will prevail.
(Applause.)

The President has to lead with consistency and strength. In a war,
sometimes your tactics change, but not your principles. Americans have
seen how I do my job. Even when you might not agree with me, you know
what I believe, you know where I stand, and you know what I intend to
do. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: On good days and on bad days, whether the polls are
up or the polls are down, I am determined to protect the American
people, and I will always support the men and women who do.
(Applause.)

My opponent has taken a different approach. It's fair to say that
consistency has not been his strong point. Senator Kerry says we're
better of with Saddam Hussein out of power, except when he declares
that when removing Saddam made us less safe. He said in our second
debate that he always believed Saddam was a threat -- except a few
questions later when he said Saddam Hussein was not a threat.
(Laughter.) He says he was right when he voted to authorize the use of
force against Saddam Hussein, but that I was wrong to use force against
Saddam Hussein. (Laughter.) Now my opponent is throwing out a wild
claim that he knows where bin Laden was in the fall of 2001, that our
military passed up a chance to get him at Tora Bora. It's an
unjustified criticism of the military commanders in the field. It is
the worst kind of Monday-morning quarter backing. (Applause.)

Tommy Franks, Tommy Franks was our Commander in Afghanistan, and
here's what he said about Tora Bora. He said, "The Senator's
understanding of events does not square with reality." Tommy was
there. Tommy says that Special Forces were actively in the search for
the terrorists in Tora Bora and that intelligence reports at the time
placed bin Laden in any of several countries.

Now, before Senator Kerry got into political difficulty and revised
his views, here's what he said about Tora Bora on national TV in the
fall of 2001. He said, "I think we've been doing this pretty
effectively and we should continue to do it that way." At the time,
the Senator said about Tora Bora, "I think we've been smart. I think
the administration leadership has done it well, and we are on the right
track." Well, all I can say to that is, I am George W. Bush and I
approve of that message. (Applause.)

Yet, my opponent's record on national security has a far deeper
problem than election-year flip-flopping. On the largest national
security issues of our time, he has been consistently wrong. When
Ronald Reagan was confronting the Soviet Union at the height of the
Cold War, Senator Kerry said that President Reagan's policy of peace
through strength was making America less safe. Well, history has shown
that Senator Kerry was wrong and President Ronald Reagan was right.
(Applause.)

When former President Bush led a coalition against Saddam Hussein
in 1991, Senator Kerry voted against the use of force to liberate
Kuwait. If his view had prevailed, Saddam Hussein today would dominate
the Middle East and possess the world's most dangerous weapons.
History has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and former President
Bush was right. (Applause.)

In 1994, just one year after the first bombing of the World Trade
Center, Senator Kerry proposed massive cuts in America's intelligence
budget, so massive that even his colleague from Massachusetts opposed
them. Well, history has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and -- got
to be fair -- Senator Kennedy was right. (Applause.)

Just last year, American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan needed $87
billion to help them on their missions, to make sure they had all that
was necessary in harm's way. First, Senator Kerry said it would be
irresponsible to vote against the troops, then he voted against the
troops. You might remember perhaps the most famous quote of the 2004
campaign, when he said, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion,
before I voted against it." (Laughter.) History has shown that
Senator Kerry was right, then wrong, then briefly right, then wrong
again. (Laughter and applause.)

You know, he's given quite a few answers about that vote, and
finally, at one time, he just said the whole thing was a complicated
matter. My fellow Americans, there is nothing complicated about
supporting our troops in combat. (Applause.)

I thank our troops, I thank the families of our troops, and I thank
the veterans who have set such a great example to our troops.
(Applause.)

During the last 20 years, in key moments of challenge and decision
for America, my opponent has chosen the position of weakness and
inaction. With that record, he stands in opposition not just to me,
but to the great tradition of the Democratic Party. The party of
Franklin Roosevelt, of Harry Truman, of John Kennedy is rightly
remembered for confidence and resolve in times of war and hours of
crisis. Senator Kerry has turned his back on "pay any price" and "bear
any burden," and he has placed those commitments -- replaced those
commitments with "wait and see" and "cut and run." Many Democrats in
this country do not recognize their party anymore. Today, I want to
speak to every one of them: If you believe that America should lead
with strength and purpose and confidence in our ideals, I'd be honored
to have your support and I'm asking for your vote. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: All the difference -- all the differences I've
outlined today add up to one big difference. My opponent says that
September the 11th, in his words, did not change him much at all. And
his policies make that clear. He says the war on terror is primarily a
law enforcement and intelligence-gathering operation.

My outlook was changed on September the 11th. A few days after the
attacks, I stood where the buildings fell, in Ground Zero. It's a day
I'll never forget. The workers in hard hats yelling at me at the top
of their lungs, "Whatever it takes." I remember a guy grabbed me by
the arm, he looked me square in the eye, and he said, "Do not let me
down." After that morning, I wake -- I've waken up every morning
thinking about how to better protect America. I will use every asset
at our disposal. I will never relent in defending the security of the
American people, whatever it takes. (Applause.)

The second clear choice concerns your family's budget. When I ran
for President four years ago, I pledged to lower taxes for American
families, and I kept my word. (Applause.) We doubled the child credit
to help mothers and dads raise their children. We reduced the marriage
penalty. Listen, I think the tax code ought to encourage marriage, not
penalize marriage. (Applause.) We created the lowest bracket of 10
percent, so to help families. We're reduced income taxes for everybody
who pays taxes.

Now, I want you to remind your friends and neighbors what we have
overcome, the obstacles this economy has overcome. You know, the stock
market had been in decline for six months prior to my arrival. We were
headed into a recession. And these corporate scandals which affected
the economy -- we passed tough laws, by the way; we made it abundantly
clear that we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of
America. And then we got attacked, and those attacks cost us about a
million jobs in the three months after September the 11th. But because
we cut your taxes, because we encouraged consumption and investment,
because we recognized the contributions small business owners make in
this country, our economic policies have led us on the path to growth.

Our economy has been growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20
years. We've added 1.9 million new jobs since August of 2003. The
national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. Let me put that in
perspective for you: That's lower than the average rate of the 1970s,
the 1980s, and the 1990s. (Applause.) Our farm economy is strong. I
campaigned here in the caucuses, and I campaigned in 2000, and I've
been coming back to your state saying, I support ethanol. We're
supporting ethanol. I said, I'm going to come back and open up markets
so Iowa farm products are all around the world. We've opened up
markets. Our farmers are making a good living. (Applause.) The
entrepreneurial spirit is strong, small businesses are flourishing, the
home ownership rate is at an all-time high, and the unemployment rate
in the state of Iowa is 4.7 percent. Our policies are working, and
we're not going to go back to the days of federal spending and federal
taxes. (Applause.)

We have a different point of view on the budget. My opponent has
different plans. He's going to take a big chunk out of your budget.
Listen, he's promised $2.2 trillion in new spending in this campaign --
that's trillion with a "T." (Laughter.) That's a lot, even for a
Senator from Massachusetts. (Laughter.)

And they asked him how he's going to pay for it. And he threw out
the same old tired line: We're going to tax the rich. Well, first of
all, when you run up the top two brackets, you're taxing job creators.
Do you realize most of the small businesses in America pay individual
income taxes, because they're either a subchapter-S or a sole
proprietorship? Seventy percent of new jobs are created by small
businesses. Senator Kerry's plan would tax the job creators of
America, and that is bad economic policy. (Applause.)

And, secondly, by taxing people who have earned over $200,000, or
entities that have earned over $200,000, you raise between $600 and
$800 billion. It doesn't take much math to figure out that's far short
of the $2.2 trillion he's promised. So there's a gap, a gap between
what he's promised and how he's going to pay for it. And guess who
usually fills the gap.

AUDIENCE: We do!

THE PRESIDENT: You do. The good news is, he's not going to tax
you, because we're going to win Iowa and win a great victory.
(Applause.)

The third clear choice involves the quality of life for our
nation's families. A good education and quality health care are
important for our country's families. When I ran for President four
years ago, I promised to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations
by reforming our public schools. I kept my word. (Applause.) We
passed education reform to bring high standards into the classrooms and
to make our schools accountable to our parents. We're seeing
progress. Math and reading scores are rising. We are closing
achievement gaps for minority students all across America. We'll build
on these reforms. We'll extend them to our high schools so that no
child is left behind in America. (Applause.)

We'll make sure health care is available and affordable. We'll
expand health savings accounts so small -- more small businesses can
cover their workers and more families can get health care accounts they
call their own and manage. In order to make sure our small businesses
can afford health care, we ought to allow them to pool together, pool
risk so they can afford insurance at the same discount that big
companies get. We're going to make sure we take care of the poor and
the indigent through community and rural health centers. We'll work
hard to make sure every eligible child is enrolled in our government's
low-income health insurance program. To make sure health care is
available and affordable for you, we will do something about the
frivolous lawsuits that are running up the cost of medicine and running
good doctors out of practice. (Applause.)

I have met too many good doctors who have quit practice in
medicine. Some of the saddest tales are those of OB/GYNs. These
lawsuits are running up the cost of premiums to the point where they
can't afford to stay in business. So they leave their community. Some
of them quit the practice of medicine. And that means there are
expectant moms who are desperate -- desperately worried about whether
or not they'll get the health care they need for their child and for
themselves. You cannot be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-personal
injury lawyer at the same time. (Applause.) You have to make a
choice. My opponent made his choice, and he put a personal injury
trial lawyer on the ticket. I have made my choice: I'm standing with
the patients, I'm standing with doctors, I'm standing with small
business owners, I'm standing with hospitals, I'm for medical
liability reform now. (Applause.)

There is a big difference of opinion when it comes to health care
between me and my opponent. I remember that debate when he looked
right in the camera and they asked him about his health care plan and
he said, the government doesn't have anything to do with it. I could
barely contain myself. (Laughter.) The government has got a lot to do
with it. Eight out of ten people end up on a government program under
his health care. Listen, when you make Medicaid more attractive, small
businesses will stop providing insurance for their employees because
the government will. And that moves people from private care --
private insurance to government insurance. And you know what I know,
when the government starts writing the checks, the government starts
making the rules. And the government starts making the rules, the
government starts making your decisions. They ration care; they decide
what doctors you go to. No, federal health care is the wrong
prescription for health care in America. (Applause.) In all we do,
we'll make sure the health decisions are made by doctors and patients,
not by officials in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)

The fourth clear choice in this election involves your retirement.
We made a solemn commitment to America's seniors on Social Security and
Medicare. When I ran for President four years ago I promised to keep
that commitment and improve Medicare by adding prescription drug
coverage. I kept my word. (Applause.) You might remember the
Medicare issue. People in Washington have been debating Medicare for
years, and nothing got done. Well, thanks to working with Senator
Grassley and Congressman Nussle, we got the job done for our seniors.
(Applause.) Beginning in 2006, all seniors will be able to get
prescription drug coverage under Medicare.

I remember coming to Eastern Iowa during the congressional
campaigns in 2002. I said that I understand Iowa's hospitals are not
being treated fairly under Medicare. Nussle, you might remember -- I
stood and looked right in the camera. I said, I'm going to work with
Congressman Nussle and Senator Grassley to make sure Iowa's rural
hospitals, in particular, are treated fairly. The bill I signed not
only helps our seniors, but it helps Iowa hospitals. I kept my word.
(Applause.)

And we will keep the promise of Social Security for our seniors.
And I want to remind you what happened in the 2000 campaign. I don't
know if it's happened here yet or not, but it certainly happened in
2000, when they made it abundantly clear to people that if I got
elected our seniors were not going to get their Social Security
checks. That's the old scare tactics they like to use. You might
remember those ads. As you gather up the vote I want you to remind
people: George W. did get elected, and our seniors did get their
checks. (Applause.) I don't care how they put it or how they try to
scare you, our seniors will continue to get their checks.

And baby boomers like me, I think we're in pretty good shape when
it comes to getting the checks when we retire. But we need to worry
about our children and our grandchildren when it comes to Social
Security. We need to worry about whether or not there will be a Social
Security system available for them when they retire. And that's why I
think we ought to allow younger workers to take some of their own
payroll taxes and set them in a personal savings account, an account
that earns a better rate of return, an account that they can call their
own. (Applause.)

My opponent has taken a different approach on this issue. He said
he is going to protect Social Security, but he forgot to tell you he's
the only candidate in this race who voted eight times for higher taxes
on Social Security benefits.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: You're wondering why you got those taxes on your
Social Security benefits? There's one reason why, Senator John Kerry.
And then when he talks about reforming the system for our youngsters,
he had nothing to offer. The job of a President is to confront
problems, not pass them on to future Presidents and future
generations. In a new term, I'll bring people together to strengthen
the Social Security system for a younger generation. (Applause.)

And the final clear choice in this election is on the values that
are so crucial to keeping our families strong. And here my opponent
and I are miles apart. I stand for the appointment of federal judges
who know the difference between personal opinion and the strict
interpretation of the law. (Applause.) I believe marriage is a sacred
commitment, a pillar of our civilization, and I will defend it.
(Applause.) This isn't a partisan issue. You know, when Congress
passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as a union
of a man and a woman, the vast majority of Democrats supported it, and
President Bill Clinton signed it into law. But Senator Kerry was part
of the out-of-the-mainstream minority that voted against the Defense of
Marriage Act.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: I believe reasonable people can find common ground
on difficult issues. Republicans and Democrats came together and
agreed we should ban the brutal practice of partial birth abortion. I
proudly signed that bill. (Applause.) But Senator Kerry was part of
the out-of-the-mainstream minority that voted against the ban on
partial birth abortion. As a matter of fact, he voted against parental
notification laws, he voted against the Unborn Victims of Violence
Act. I'll continue to reach out to Americans of every belief and move
this good-hearted nation toward a culture of life. (Applause.)

I don't know if you remember this in the campaign, but at one point
my opponent said you can find the heart and soul of America in
Hollywood.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: Most families don't look to Hollywood for a source
of values. The heart and soul of America is found in communities like
Dubuque, Iowa. (Applause.)

All of these choices make this one of the most important elections
in our history. The security and prosperity of our country is at
stake, the health and education for families are important, the
retirement of our seniors, the direction of our culture, they're all at
stake. And the decision is in the best of hands -- it's in the hands
of the American people. (Applause.)

I've got a -- I see a great America coming. I see a hopeful day.
One of my favorite quotes -- I hope it helps capture how I feel about
America -- is what a fellow Texan, named Tom Lea, wrote. He said,
"Sarah and I live on the east side of the mountain. It's the sunrise
side, not the sunset side. It is the side to see the day that is
coming, not to see the day that has gone." In the course of this
campaign, my opponent has spent much of the time talking about the day
that has gone. I'm talking about the day that is coming. I'm talking
about a great day for America. (Applause.)

We've been through a lot together in the last nearly four years.
Because we've done the hard work of climbing the mountain, we can see
the valley below. We'll protect our families, we'll build on their
prosperity, we'll defend the deepest values. We'll continue to spread
liberty and freedom, achieving the peace we all long for.

You know, when I campaigned in your state -- around your state in
the caucuses and in the 2000 general election, I made you this pledge.
I said if I was honored to be elected, I would uphold the honor and the
dignity of the office. With your help, with your hard work, I will do
so for four more years.

Thanks for coming. God bless. We're on to victory. Thank you
all. (Applause.)